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The Commoner
SEPTEMBER, 1916
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Impounding the
Tailings
Somo think that the saloon-keeper is treated
harshly. He is not. Society is not as strict with
him as with those engaged in legitimate busi
ness. Tako the stamp mill, for instance. It is
an asset to a community a blessing to a mining
eanip, and yet the stamp mill must be careful
not to do injury to others.
It takes in the ore bearing rock and stamps,
and stamps, and stamps, until all tho precious
material is extracted; but the refuse stuff that is
left the failings is it allowed to pour these
down into the mountain streams? No, at it's
own expense it must impound the tailings for
the protection of the people who live in the
valleys.
Not so with tho saloon. It is permitted to tako
in tho priceless young manhood of the com
munity and it stamps, and stamps, and stamps,
until all that is precious is extracted, and then,
instead of being compelled to impound the tail
ngs at its own expense, it is permitted to throw
the dregs of humanity out upon socfety, and so
ciety must take care of the paupers, the crimin
als and the insane, who graduate from the sa
loon. W. J. BRYAN.
RAISING THE MAN-LEVEL
Society is making progress. We have already
advanced so far that no county or state would
think, for a moment, of licensing a man to spread
hog cholera among hogs, regard for dumb ani
mals as well as interest in the money value of
the hog would prevent it. And it will not be
long, if we can judge by the speed with which
public sentiment is moving, before men will be
raised to the level of the hog, and then no com
munity will license a saloon to disease the bodies,
the minds, and the souls of men. God, hasten
tho day.
WHY HIDE HIM?
Why is ,the "finished product" of the saloon
hustled off to tJbV calaboose and hidden . from
sight? The saloon keeper is the first ojne to
call the police when a customer gets down so
low that ho disgraces a saloon. Wliy does he not
put his handiwork in his show window and ex
hibit him as an illustration of what he saloon
can do when it has a fair chance at a man?
PARTISANSHIP RUN MAD
Having forgotten that he was ever a judge,
Mr. Hughes is trying to show how partisan a
man can be when he becomes a "100 per cent
candidate." His latest is to compare the dem
ocratic party to a "disorderly house" and tho
campaign has just begun. What may we expect
when ho gets warmed .up?
LOST!
Lost: A "panic scare," badly worn by long
use, but valuable to owner as a relic because of
service rendered in numerous compaigns. Finder
will be suitably rewarded for returning same to
republican headquarters.
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When the administration shipping bill came to
a voto in the senate every democrat was recorded
in its favor and every republican in opposition.
he bill is one that places the government in the
shipping business in opposition to private cap
ital. Which explains tho vote fully.
The Washington dispatches say that the re
publicans joined. with a democratic minority in
securing the postponement of the Owens' corrupt
practices bill. The republicans do not desire
any law to embarrass their activities in this
campaign.
LAOCOON
The bakers the country over who are threat
ening to increase theprice of bread say that it
is because there is a shortage of wheat. This is
uie first time in two years that a price advance
nas not been blamed on the war in Europe.
Well, it. is a little provokin&nQt to have any
u ing to find fault with, but tiie republican
speakers will have to make the best of it. The
aumin.stration can not makeiimlstakes just to
acc-rnmodat'o .-epubllcan leader. .
oftn r HuS"ea stDl imitaUiig the embarrassed
Jiier dinnor speaker- who Tomatfked: "Without
yiK anything inoro I desire to add a few
AN ADMIRAL'S VIEWS
' Admiral Fiske, in an article recently published
in the New York Times, inadvertently discloses
the point of view of the militarist. He says:
"The dangerous enemy of the United States is
r-7 not Germany or Japan; it is the American pol
itician. It is not the open foe; it is the secret
poison that reduces our power to repel tire foe.
It is not the army and navy of any foreign power,
because we can raise an army and navy better
than theirs; it is the politician who prevents our
getting an adequate army and navy; who per
suades the people that such an array and navy
will cause a horrible thing the politician calls
'militarism.' The nation can gain tho victory
over a foreign foe, but is powerless against the
politician, 'the soulless politician as Whittier
calls him 'who gambles for office with dice load
ed with human hearts.' Few men die by reason
of external violence: It is Internal disease that
kills them. From the standpoint of national
longevity politics is a disease." "
iHere we have it. The "politician", is the sen
ator or member who consults the wishes of his
constituents insteaa or accepting wuuout ques
tion the recommendations of the so-called ex-
-r
perts, who, holding life positions and drawing
high salaries, are attempting, to frighten the na
tion by manufactured war scares. If a public
official betrays tho tax-payers, the experts ap
plaud him as a patriot; if he Is true to those
who elect him- ho is a dangerous politician.
There is nothing that a militarist hates so much
as representative government that really repre
sents. W. J. BRYAN.
Extreme horror is expressed by the republican
leaders over the discovery that when the 'demo
crats secured control of the national administra
tion party leaders who had been responsible for
its success were given positions of hondr and
trust. Inasmuch as every republican adminis
tration similarly rewarded its workers inVthc
offices that are purely political, it will be a diffi
cult task to induce the voters to grow greatly
agitated.
S
SAYING THE TRUTH
To know how to say what other peopfo only
dare to think, is what makes men sages; hnd to
dare to say what others only daro to thfnk, is
what makes themg martyrs, or reform'ers. i
Elizabeth Charles. U
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